The present disclosure relates generally to masking articles, such as masking tape, and, more particularly, to a masking article that produces precise paint lines.
When applying a surface coating, such as paint or stain, to a surface, care must be taken so that the paint does not get on the surfaces adjacent to the surface to be painted. This can be accomplished by carefully painting the surface, or by masking off the area around the surface to be painted. Masking articles, such as masking tapes and adhesive masking sheets, are often used to protect the area adjacent to the surface being painted. When using such masking articles, it is generally desirable that the paint not bleed past the demarcation line defined by the edge of the masking article. In this manner, the masking article will produce a paint line between the painted surface and unpainted surface that is smooth and consistent, and precisely matches the line intended by the user. Depending on a number of factors, such as how well such masking articles are applied to the surface, the energy of the surface, and the texture of the surface to which such masking articles are applied, paint may flow beyond the edge of the masking article and under certain regions of the masking article, thereby producing an imprecise paint line.
Adhesive tapes and masking materials having an edge coating for improving the masking ability of the materials are known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,828,008 (Gruber), for example, discloses an absorbent edge coating for masking tape and other masking materials. The masking tape comprises a substrate having a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one masking edge. The bottom surface of the substrate has an adhesive layer applied thereto. An absorbent edge coating is applied to at least one masking edge of the substrate so as to at least substantially prevent liquids addressed to the at least one coated masking edge from being absorbed into the substrate of the tape and from passing between the bottom surface of the tape and a surface to which the tape has been applied.